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Taming a colt with various courses and steep paths; 1012 Whether holding some pride in my heart, which indeed most quickly grows in the pious, as many as are light of mind, who snatch an evil pride from the good of God; Whether wishing, O Savior Logos, by our evils to instruct mortals, to hate the wickedness of a life that is not stable, but brings woes upon all, both good and evil, and to hasten to another life, steadfast, unshakable, and better for the pious. But these things lie in the great depths of wisdom, all the lessons that a changing life brings to mortals, both good and bad; but to the Word all things are best, even if they mostly escape the density of our mind. 1013 And you wisely steer here and there the helm of the cosmos, by which being driven, we cross the great gulf of a most faithless life over rough and wicked reefs. But I, toiling and worn out by all kinds of woes, bend my knees to you. Send to me quickly Lazarus with his moist finger to cool my dry tongue with flame, and let the chasm no longer hold me back, nor let Abraham cast me far from his great bosom, a rich man in my sufferings. And may you send forth your mighty hand, and grant a cure for my sorrows, and show to me in all things the power of your miracles and wonders, as before. Speak, and may the flow of blood cease at once. Speak, and may the spirit of the legion drive mad the herd of swine, and may it fall into the seas, and withdraw from me. And may you drive away joyless leprosy; and may light come 1014 to eyes that do not see, and ears hear a sound; And may you stretch out my withered hand, and may you break the bonds of my tongue, and make firm the feeble steps of my feet. And may you satisfy from a little bread; and may you calm the fearful sea; and may you shine brighter than the sun. And may you make firm my heavy limbs, and from the dead may you raise again the one who stinks; and do not, seeing me fruitless like the fig tree before, make me wither. One man trusts in some helpers, O Christ, another in others, in blood, and in ash, and in an eyebrow that exists today. And they desire another worthless helper; but to you alone, O greatest King, I alone am left, you who rule over all, and are my greatest strength. My caring wife could not release my incurable sorrows. Nor she who soothes a grieving man with consolations; 1015 Nor do I rejoice in dear children, by whom old age is set upright, walking again in young footsteps; Nor do I delight in brothers, nor in companions. For hateful fate has snatched some away; and others who love calm, tremble at the slight shudder of their companions that sole delight I had, as when a thirsty deer nears a cool spring, the best of men, Christ-bearers, living on earth, above the flesh, friends of the ever-flowing Spirit, and good servants, unmarried, prudent about the world; But even they, fighting contentiously for you, stand here and there, and zeal for God has unlawfully dissolved law, and the harmony of love, of which only the name is left. 1016 And as when someone leaving a lion should approach a raging bear, and fleeing this one should fall gladly into his house, and lean his hand against the wall, and from there a snake, darting forth, should unexpectedly bite him so also for me, driven by many sufferings, there is no cure for my toil, but whatever I find is more painful. And having looked everywhere and having toiled in all things, from you, to you, O blessed one, I look again, my defense, Almighty, unbegotten, and beginning, and father of the beginning, of the immortal Son, great light of a like light, proceeding from one to one in unsearchable ways; Son of God, wisdom, king, word, and truth, image of the archetype, nature equal to the begetter. Shepherd, lamb, and sacrifice, God, mortal, and high priest; 1017 And the Spirit who proceeds from the Father, the light of our mind, coming to the pure, and makes a mortal a god Be gracious, and grant to me in the coming years, both here and hereafter, being mingled with the whole Godhead, to honor you joyfully with continual hymns.

II. Oaths of Gregory. I have sworn by the Word himself, who is for me the greatest God, from

the beginning from the beginning, from the immortal Father, image of the archetype, nature equal to the begetter, who

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πῶλον Παντοίοισι δρόμοισι καὶ ἠλιβάτοισι δαμάζων· 1012 Εἴτε τιν' ὄγκον ἐμῆς ἴσχων φρενὸς, ὅς ῥα τάχιστα Φύεται εὐσεβέεσσιν, ὅσοι νόον εἰσὶν ἐλαφροὶ, Οἳ κακὸν ἐξ ἀγαθοῖο Θεοῦ τύφον ἁρπάζουσιν· Εἴτε κακοῖς ἐθέλων, σῶτερ Λόγε, ἡμετέροισι Παιδεῦσαι θνητοὺς, βιότου στυγέειν κακότητα Ὡς οὐχ ἱσταμένου, πᾶσιν δ' ἐπὶ πήματ' ἄγοντος, Ἐσθλοῖς ἠδὲ κακοῖσι, βίον δ' ἐπὶ ἄλλον ἐπείγειν, Ἔμπεδον, ἀστυφέλικτον, ἀρείονά τ' εὐσεβέεσσιν. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν σοφίης μεγάλοις ἐνὶ βένθεσι κεῖται, Ὅσσα φέρει στρεπτοῖο βίου παιδεύματα θνητοῖς, Ἐσθλά τε καὶ τὰ χέρεια· Λόγῳ δέ τε πάντα φέριστα, Κἢν πλείω φεύγῃσι νόου πάχος ἡμετέροιο. 1013 Νωμᾷς δ' ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα σοφῶς οἰήϊα κόσμου, Οἷσιν ἐλαυνόμενοι τρηχὺ σπιλάδεσσι κακῇσι Λαῖτμα μέγ' ἐκπερόωμεν ἀπιστοτάτου βιότοιο. Αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ μογέων, καὶ πήμασι παντοδαποῖσι Τειρόμενος, κάμπτω σοι γούνατα. Πέμψον ἔμοιγε ∆ακτύλῳ ἰκμαλέῳ ξηρὴν φλογὶ Λάζαρον ὦκα Γλῶσσαν ἀναψύξοντα, χάος δέ με μηκέτ' ἐρύκοι, Μηδ' Ἀβραὰμ μεγάλων κόλπων ἀποτηλόθι βάλλοι Πλούσιον ἐν παθέεσσι. Τεὴν δ' ἐπὶ χεῖρα κραταιὴν Πέμψειας, ἀχέων δὲ πόροις ἄκος, εἰς δέ με πάντα Θαύματα καὶ τεράων δείξαις σθένος, ὡς τοπάροιθεν. Εἰπὲ, καὶ αἱματόεσσα ῥύσις λήξειε τάχιστα. Εἰπὲ, καὶ ἐκμήνειε συῶν ἀγέλην λεγεῶνος Πνεῦμα, καὶ ἐν πελάγεσσι πέσοι, χάζοιτο δ' ἐμοῖο. Καὶ λέπρην ἐλάσειας ἀτερπέα· καὶ φάος ἔλθοι 1014 Ὄμμασιν οὐχ ὁρόωσι, καὶ οὔατα φθόγγον ἀκούοι· Καὶ ξηρὴν τανύσειας ἐμὴν χέρα, δεσμά τε γλώσσης Ῥήξειας, στήσαις δὲ ποδῶν βάσιν ἀδρανέουσαν. Ἐκ δ' ἄρτου κορέσαις ὀλίγου· στορέσαις δὲ θάλασσαν ∆ειμαλέην· στράψαις δὲ φαάντερον ἠελίοιο. Πήξειας δὲ μέλη βεβαρηότα, ἐκ νεκύων δὲ Αὖθις ἀναστήσειας ὀδωδότα· μηδέ μ' ἄκαρπον, Οἷα συκῆν τοπάροιθεν, ἰδὼν, ξηρὸν τελέσειας. Ἄλλος μέν τ' ἄλλοισιν ἀρηγόσι, Χριστὲ, πέποιθεν, Αἵματι, καὶ τέφρῃ, καὶ ὀφρύϊ σήμερον οὔσῃ. Οἵ τ' ἄλλου χατέουσιν ἀρηγόνος οὐτιδανοῖο· Σοὶ δ' ἄρ' ἐγὼ μούνῳ, Βασιλεύτατε, μοῦνος ἐλείφθην, Ὃς πάντων κρατέεις, καί μοι σθένος ἐσσὶ μέγιστον. Οὔ μ' ἄλοχος κομέουσα δυσαλθέα κήδεα λύσοι. Ἤ τε καὶ ἀσχαλόωντα παρηγορίῃσιν ἰαίνει· 1015 Οὐδὲ φίλοις παίδεσσιν ἀγάλλομαι, οἷς ὑπὸ γῆρας Ὀρθοῦται, νεαροῖσιν ὑπ' ἴχνεσιν αὖθις ὁδεῦον· Οὐδὲ κασιγνήτοις ἐπιτέρπομαι, οὐδ' ἑτάροισι. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ στυγερὸς μόρος ἥρπασεν· οἱ δὲ φιλεῦντες Νηνεμίην, ἑτάρων ὀλίγην φρῖκα τρομέουσι Κείνην τερπωλὴν οἴην ἔχον, ὡς ὅτε πηγὴν ∆ιψαλέη ψυχρὴν ἔλαφος σχεδὸν, ἀνδρὰς ἀρίστους, Χριστοφόρους, ζώοντας ἐπὶ χθονὶ, σαρκὸς ὕπερθεν, Πνεύματος ἀενάοιο φίλους, καὶ λάτριας ἐσθλοὺς, Ἀζυγέας, κόσμοιο περίφρονας· Ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ Μαρνάμενοι περὶ σεῖο διακριδὸν ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα Ἵστανται, ζῆλος δὲ Θεοῦ λύσε θεσμὸν ἀθέσμως, Ἁρμονίην τ' ἀγάπης, ἧς οὔνομα μοῦνον ἐλείφθη. 1016 Ὡς δ' ὅτε τίς τε λέοντα λιπὼν ἄρκτῳ πελάσειε Μαινομένῃ, καὶ τήνδε φυγὼν ἐς δῶμα πέσῃσιν Ἀσπασίως, καὶ χεῖρα ἑὴν πρὸς τοῖχον ἐρείσῃ, Ἔνθεν δ' ἐκπροθορών μιν ὄφις τύψῃσιν ἀέλπτως Ὡς καὶ ἐμοὶ πολλοῖσιν ἐλαυνομένῳ παθέεσσιν, Οὐδὲν ἄκος καμάτοιο, τὸ δ' ἄλγιον, ὅττί κεν εὕρω. Πάντη δ' ἀθρήσας τε καὶ ἐν πάντεσσι μογήσας, Ἐκ σέθεν, εἰς σὲ, μάκαρ, λεύσσω πάλιν, ἄλκαρ ἐμοῖο, Παντοκράτωρ, ἀγένητε, καὶ ἀρχὴ, καὶ πάτερ ἀρχῆς, Υἱέος ἀθανάτοιο, φάος μέγα φωτὸς ὁμοίου, Ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς ἓν ἰόντος ἀτεκμάρτοισι λόγοισιν· Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, σοφίη, βασιλεῦ, λόγε, ἀτρεκίη τε, Εἰκὼν ἀρχετύποιο, φύσις γεννήτορος ἴση. Ποιμὴν, ἀμνὲ, θύος τε, Θεὲ, βροτὲ, ἀρχιερεῦ τε· 1017 Πνεῦμά θ' ὃ πατρόθεν εἶσι, νόου φάος ἡμετέροιο, Ἐρχόμενον καθαροῖσι, Θεὸν δέ τε φῶτα τίθησιν Ἵλαθι, καί μοι ὄπασσον ἐπιπλομένοις ἐνιαυτοῖς, Ἐνθάδε καὶ μετέπειτα ὅλῃ θεότητι μιγέντα, Γηθόσυνον ὕμνοις σε διηνεκέεσσι γεραίρειν.

Βʹ. Ὅρκοι Γρηγορίου. Ὥμοσα τὸν Λόγον αὐτὸν, ὅ μοι Θεός ἐστι μέγιστος, Ἐξ

ἀρχῆς ἀρχὴ, Πατρὸς ἀπ' ἀθανάτου, Εἰκὼν ἀρχετύποιο, φύσις γεννήτορος ἴση, Ὃς